Posted Thu Sep 07 00:59:00 EAT 2017

Private universities reject State-sponsored learners

Parents of some of the 160 students denied admission to Kabarak University complain outside the institution on September 5, 2017. Kabarak is among the 28 private universities that have turned away government sponsored students due to funding. PHOTO | AYUB MUIYURO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By PETER MBURU AND LINET AMULI

In Summary

The problem has been reported in at least 28 universities.

The institutions referred the affected students back to the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service.

Angry parents, however, blamed KUCCPS for the turn of events and threatened to storm its city offices if their concerns were not addressed.

Students admitted for courses such as law, pharmacy and clinical medicine were told to go back home when they reported for admission.

The problem has been reported in at least 28 universities.

The institutions referred the affected students back to the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service.

At Kabarak University, tens of parents protested outside the main campus gate when the learners were denied admission.

SPONSORSHIP

The students were placed in the institutions by KUCCPS on a government-sponsorship basis after surpassing the cut-off points for the courses in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination.

“We were told that the government paid Sh70,000 yet a course like medicine requires more than Sh200,000 per student. We fail to understand why KUCCPS placed our children here if it knew fees would not be paid,” Mr Edwin Sitienei complained.

KUCCPS chief executive John Muraguri admitted that the universities referred the students to the agency, adding that the matter was being addressed.

“What the universities did was in order, considering the circumstances, because they expected the government to increase funding for the students,” Mr Muraguri said.